The overarching aim ofthe Program Development Core (PDC) is to provide pilot funding to support innovative and ground-breaking work on questions relating to population health. As outlined in our Center overview, major thematic/substantive areas of interest include: (1) elucidation of biological mechanisms (with increased emphasis on genetic/epigenetic processes), (2) life-course perspectives on population health (e.g., understanding eariy life and other cumulative influences on health trajectories, (3) increased understanding of cognitive aging across and within populations, and (4) international comparisons (e.g., to better understand population race/ethnic and SES health disparities). Paralleling our commitment to support for innovative science is our commitment to continued support for promising junior faculty, seeking to encourage the on-going development of a cadre of talented researchers focusing on interdisciplinary questions related to demography and population health as well as efforts to encourage talented, mid- (and even later) career faculty to incorporate a more bio-demographic focus to their program of research. To achieve these aims the PDC will work with the ARC to solicit and guide pilot projects.